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Nero Wolfe #27
Might as Well Be Dead
Eleven years ago, wealthy Nebraska businessman James Herold gave his only son, Paul, a very raw deal. Now he wants Nero Wolfe to track Paul down so that he can make amends. But what if the young man doesn't want to be found...and what if he's the same P.H. who's currently on trial for cold-blooded murder? It's a case that will draw the great detective and his dedicated sidekick into a sticky web of deceit, one that will tax their resources to the utmost, and even cost them one of their own.
208 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 26, 1956
242 people are currently reading
794 people want to read
About the author
Rex Stout
833 books1,030 followersRex Todhunter Stout (1886–1975) was an American crime writer, best known as the creator of the larger-than-life fictional detective Nero Wolfe, described by reviewer Will Cuppy as "that Falstaff of detectives." Wolfe's assistant Archie Goodwin recorded the cases of the detective genius from 1934 (Fer-de-Lance) to 1975 (A Family Affair).
The Nero Wolfe corpus was nominated Best Mystery Series of the Century at Bouchercon 2000, the world's largest mystery convention, and Rex Stout was nominated Best Mystery Writer of the Century.
The Nero Wolfe corpus was nominated Best Mystery Series of the Century at Bouchercon 2000, the world's largest mystery convention, and Rex Stout was nominated Best Mystery Writer of the Century.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews
February 24, 2020
James Herold hires Wolfe to find his son Paul, who broke off all contact with the family eleven years ago after his father unjustly accused him of theft. Archie finds him after his only a couple of days--at the very moment a jury convicts him of murder.
Another good entry in the series.
February 19, 2023
While reading a serious book, I always have something lighter to read at bed time and here I go again!......re-reading a Nero Wolfe book, my favorite detective series!
It is another goodie from the master of detective fiction, Rex Stout. In this book, Wolfe and his invaluable assistant, Archie Goodwin, take on a missing persons case which has a bit of a twist which I won't reveal here. Additionally, there is a surprising murder which the reader does not expect.
Being a Nero Wolfe fanatic, I am extremely biased but if you haven't read this series you are missing something. The interaction between Wolfe and Archie is priceless which trumps even the less than believable endings in a few of the books.
It is another goodie from the master of detective fiction, Rex Stout. In this book, Wolfe and his invaluable assistant, Archie Goodwin, take on a missing persons case which has a bit of a twist which I won't reveal here. Additionally, there is a surprising murder which the reader does not expect.
Being a Nero Wolfe fanatic, I am extremely biased but if you haven't read this series you are missing something. The interaction between Wolfe and Archie is priceless which trumps even the less than believable endings in a few of the books.
March 30, 2020
4 Stars. An old-fashioned "who-done-it." I was wondering about all the leading characters, including "PH" in jail, to almost the very end. Set in the mid 1950s. Eleven years earlier, PH as a young man was falsely accused by his father of stealing from the family hardware company in Nebraska and he fled to New York. He was later cleared and the father has hired Nero Wolfe to find him. Wolfe and Archie Goodwin soon realize he is siting in jail waiting to be sentenced for murder under a different name. It comes with the usual inept police officers, a multitude of Wolfe-ian idiosyncrasies, numerous Archie-ian irreverent comments about his employer, and a little romance. Watch for Rex Stout making a play on words with "decamp." I listened to the audio book and the reader, Michael Pritchard, is perfect for this series. (February 2018)
March 31, 2019
Charles van Buren
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
5.0 out of 5 stars
What do you do when there are no clues?
March 31, 2019
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Publication date: April 24, 2010
Publisher: Bantam
Language: English
ASIN: B003IYI6YC
I have read most of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe books but had not previously read this one. I'm glad I hadn't because it was a wonderful treat to be able to read a new to me Nero Wolfe novel after so many years. The treat was made even better by the fact that this one is better than Rex Stout's excellent average. Featuring a depraved murderer and, at the beginning, a mystery with no clues, Wolfe is hard pressed to even find an opening to begin to unravel this mystery.
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
5.0 out of 5 stars
What do you do when there are no clues?
March 31, 2019
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Publication date: April 24, 2010
Publisher: Bantam
Language: English
ASIN: B003IYI6YC
I have read most of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe books but had not previously read this one. I'm glad I hadn't because it was a wonderful treat to be able to read a new to me Nero Wolfe novel after so many years. The treat was made even better by the fact that this one is better than Rex Stout's excellent average. Featuring a depraved murderer and, at the beginning, a mystery with no clues, Wolfe is hard pressed to even find an opening to begin to unravel this mystery.
May 29, 2020
The edition I read has an introduction by John Katzenbach. I read the first screen load or two, before he started talking about this specific book. Wolfe probes personalities until he uncovers the nasty vein that pulses beneath the surface, regardless of how well hidden it might be. In actuality, almost all the real “action” of a Nero Wolfe novel is cerebral. This is because in most cases, Archie and the other operatives go out and do things, but we learn about them when they come back to the office to tell Wolfe. Then Wolfe thinks. There was actually a bit more onsite action in this one, just to make sure we know not all action is cerebral, I guess.
What I love about this series is the relationship between Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. Archie knows Wolfe is a genius, but doesn't mind disparaging him when it is deserved (to the reader, never to Wolfe). In this, for example, Archie actually has to tell Wolfe that the morgue never closes, and Archie makes sure we readers recognize that the genius Wolfe doesn't actually know everything worth knowing. I also love Archie's observations about people. Archie describing people often includes some back-handed compliments. Fred Durkin, big and burly and bald, knows exactly what he can expect of his brains and what he can’t, which is more than you can say for a lot of people with a bigger supply.
It would be a rare review by me when I don't mention the writing. I sort of complained about Christie's prose in the last book I read. I don't think I can actually proclaim the prose is better than Christie's and get away with it, but, for me, there *is* something a cut above. There is a cadence to Stout's prose that appeals to me in the same way as does Raymond Chandler's. Stout, of course, has not a hint of noir and I'm hard put to better explain exactly what I mean.
Despite being my 3rd mystery in a row, I was delighted to find myself reading this. That may color my rating, which comes in in the low 4-stars.
What I love about this series is the relationship between Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. Archie knows Wolfe is a genius, but doesn't mind disparaging him when it is deserved (to the reader, never to Wolfe). In this, for example, Archie actually has to tell Wolfe that the morgue never closes, and Archie makes sure we readers recognize that the genius Wolfe doesn't actually know everything worth knowing. I also love Archie's observations about people. Archie describing people often includes some back-handed compliments. Fred Durkin, big and burly and bald, knows exactly what he can expect of his brains and what he can’t, which is more than you can say for a lot of people with a bigger supply.
It would be a rare review by me when I don't mention the writing. I sort of complained about Christie's prose in the last book I read. I don't think I can actually proclaim the prose is better than Christie's and get away with it, but, for me, there *is* something a cut above. There is a cadence to Stout's prose that appeals to me in the same way as does Raymond Chandler's. Stout, of course, has not a hint of noir and I'm hard put to better explain exactly what I mean.
Despite being my 3rd mystery in a row, I was delighted to find myself reading this. That may color my rating, which comes in in the low 4-stars.
February 17, 2020
This might be my least favorite one of all. There were still good bits, i read several sections out loud to my wife they sounded so good. But overall this story is just OK for me.
I've always known that Stout played fast and loose with the details of his creation. He would change the street address, or make up a weapon that doesn't exist, like the Marley .38 Archie carries. But this time these details were jarring to me. Most of the time that doesn't bother me but there were two in this book that stand out as really bothersome.
The first one is one deals with the operatives that Nero often hires to assist Archie in collecting clues for him. For books and books there have been three of them. Saul, Orrie, and Fred. Orrie is often described as wanting Archie's job and in thinking that he's better than he really is. This time those three are hired along with another operative Jonny Keems. Jonny is described the way Orrie usually is. Jonny ends up This feels a little cheap instead of the usual elegant crafting.
The second one is petty. One of the characters is invited to stay several days at Nero's residence. This is not uncommon for visitors to stay in what they call the South Room, on the third floor across the hall from Archie's room. There is a room called the North room on the second floor across from Nero's that is rarely used. Archie brings the guest in, goes up one floor to the South Room. Ugh! See petty but it's bugging me because I've spent so much energy putting together my vision of what Nero and Archies world looks like and this change serves no real purpose for the story.
My final complaint is that this mystery was solved by hiding information from the reader. Nero recovers documents that expose the real plot between the murderer and the victim, but at no point is any hint of that relationship established and all is revealed in the final confrontation in Nero's office. That also felt cheap to me.
Overall, this is not my favorite but the strength of the writing of the characters keeps it from being a total disaster. This gets two stars, making it "OK".
I've always known that Stout played fast and loose with the details of his creation. He would change the street address, or make up a weapon that doesn't exist, like the Marley .38 Archie carries. But this time these details were jarring to me. Most of the time that doesn't bother me but there were two in this book that stand out as really bothersome.
The first one is one deals with the operatives that Nero often hires to assist Archie in collecting clues for him. For books and books there have been three of them. Saul, Orrie, and Fred. Orrie is often described as wanting Archie's job and in thinking that he's better than he really is. This time those three are hired along with another operative Jonny Keems. Jonny is described the way Orrie usually is. Jonny ends up This feels a little cheap instead of the usual elegant crafting.
The second one is petty. One of the characters is invited to stay several days at Nero's residence. This is not uncommon for visitors to stay in what they call the South Room, on the third floor across the hall from Archie's room. There is a room called the North room on the second floor across from Nero's that is rarely used. Archie brings the guest in, goes up one floor to the South Room. Ugh! See petty but it's bugging me because I've spent so much energy putting together my vision of what Nero and Archies world looks like and this change serves no real purpose for the story.
My final complaint is that this mystery was solved by hiding information from the reader. Nero recovers documents that expose the real plot between the murderer and the victim, but at no point is any hint of that relationship established and all is revealed in the final confrontation in Nero's office. That also felt cheap to me.
Overall, this is not my favorite but the strength of the writing of the characters keeps it from being a total disaster. This gets two stars, making it "OK".
April 20, 2022
Having just finished Three Witnesses, three short stories, a format that I love. I'm going to go ahead and say this book, Might As Well Be Dead, a full length, albeit short one, is one of the better full length tales in the canon. There is just no substitute for Archie Goodwin, he is a great narrator of the Nero Wolfe mysteries.
November 14, 2019
The background for this story is far from present New York City, beginning eleven years previously in Nebraska. A young man named Paul Herold graduated college that year and began working in his father’s business. When $26K is embezzled, the evidence points at Paul, and since Paul has been a bit wild in college, his father was predisposed against him. The elder Mr. Herold kicked the younger one out of his business and his life and never saw or heard from him again. Until now, when our story begins.
Mr. Herold wants to hire Wolfe to find his son, who, he has reason to believe, has been living in NYC since the blowup. The real embezzler has been discovered and Pop wants to make it up to Jr. Yeah, Wolfe and Archie aren’t so sure about how Paul Herold would respond to such, but as Archie says, it takes money to run the brownstone to Wolfe’s tastes.
Wolfe puts an advertisement in the papers stating that a certain P.H. has been falsely accused of wrongdoing, but that evidence has been found showing his innocence. It so happens a man named Peter Hays is on trial for murder, so the ad catches the attention of law enforcement and Hays’s attorney.
Archie does some investigating and comes to the conclusion that Peter Hays is indeed Paul Herold; the wrinkle is that Peter Hays has just been found guilty of first degree murder. Furthermore, Hays refuses to admit to his parentage — and you can’t really blame him for that. On the one occasion Archie talks to Hays, he tells Archie that “he might as well be dead,” hence the title. Another character repeats that sentiment later.
This was really a good Wolfe & Archie adventure - one of the top ten, I think. 4.25 stars.
Mr. Herold wants to hire Wolfe to find his son, who, he has reason to believe, has been living in NYC since the blowup. The real embezzler has been discovered and Pop wants to make it up to Jr. Yeah, Wolfe and Archie aren’t so sure about how Paul Herold would respond to such, but as Archie says, it takes money to run the brownstone to Wolfe’s tastes.
Wolfe puts an advertisement in the papers stating that a certain P.H. has been falsely accused of wrongdoing, but that evidence has been found showing his innocence. It so happens a man named Peter Hays is on trial for murder, so the ad catches the attention of law enforcement and Hays’s attorney.
Archie does some investigating and comes to the conclusion that Peter Hays is indeed Paul Herold; the wrinkle is that Peter Hays has just been found guilty of first degree murder. Furthermore, Hays refuses to admit to his parentage — and you can’t really blame him for that. On the one occasion Archie talks to Hays, he tells Archie that “he might as well be dead,” hence the title. Another character repeats that sentiment later.
This was really a good Wolfe & Archie adventure - one of the top ten, I think. 4.25 stars.
May 27, 2022
A midwestern man accuses his son of stealing $26,000 from him 11 years ago and the son disappears to New York City. Now proof has been found that the son was not the thief and the man’s wife and daughters coerce him into making things right with the son. The problem? He can’t find him. Nero Wolfe enters the case and almost immediately determines that the missing man (living under an assumed name) is a poor fellow who has just been convicted of murder. The greedy side of Wolfe wants to simply inform the father that he has found the boy and collect his fee, but the young man is so upset at the idea that his parents will see him under these conditions that Wolfe hesitates and ends up committing himself to proving that the convicted man is in fact innocent even though the young man won’t help him save himself.
And that’s just the setup. This is one of Stout’s best mysteries. There is murder, murder, and more murder—but the only clue is that people keep dying. I guessed the right villain, but once again I did it mostly from my familiarity with how Stout’s mind works. I had no evidence, but boy was it satisfying when Wolfe finally produced it.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
And that’s just the setup. This is one of Stout’s best mysteries. There is murder, murder, and more murder—but the only clue is that people keep dying. I guessed the right villain, but once again I did it mostly from my familiarity with how Stout’s mind works. I had no evidence, but boy was it satisfying when Wolfe finally produced it.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
September 22, 2023
A man from Nebraska travels to New York to engage the services of Wolfe & co to find his long-lost estranged son, so that he might right the wrong that drove the wedge between them. Wolfe gets as far as putting an ad in the newspaper before finding himself in the middle of a murder trial, as the defendant has the same initials as the man they're looking for. It becomes apparent that this is their quarry - and their task is made 1000x harder when he is convicted of murder. As they dig into his new life, Wolfe & co become convinced that he did not commit the murder, and in order to free them, they have to find the person who did. Approximately one week (and four dead bodies) later, they manage to do exactly this.
This is a very lean novel, clocking in at 154 pages, and there is no ounce of unnecessary guff to bog it down. It flew past as fast as I could read it, and I had no idea whodunit, which I always enjoy (if the whodunit makes sense). This was a great way to jump back into this series, which had a bit of a sagging middle during the war years.
This is a very lean novel, clocking in at 154 pages, and there is no ounce of unnecessary guff to bog it down. It flew past as fast as I could read it, and I had no idea whodunit, which I always enjoy (if the whodunit makes sense). This was a great way to jump back into this series, which had a bit of a sagging middle during the war years.
April 14, 2023
The mystery is pretty straightforward here but still very entertaining and solid. The final wrapped up of the story was pure gold though.
4.25/5
4.25/5
September 19, 2016
James R. Harold is looking for his long-lost son. The Missing Persons Bureau thinks it's a hopeless case, but that doesn't stop them from referring Harold to Wolfe (mostly so they can watch Wolfe stub his toe on it). And it certainly seems like a fairly impossible task. Paul Harold is a veritable needle in the haystack that is New York City. But as it turns out, finding him is easy. Overturning his recent conviction for first-degree murder, on the other hand--that will be a challenge. But Wolfe is determined to do just that. Convinced that Paul (now known as Peter) was framed, Wolfe sets out to find the real murderer. However, his job is complicated by the fact that Paul/Peter won't lift a finger to help himself. Meanwhile, every time Wolfe unearths a hint, he runs headlong into yet another murder--and one of Wolfe's own employees winds up a victim! (Don't worry, it's not Saul. Or Fred.) Which is great news for Paul/Peter, since he's been in prison this whole time and can't very well have done it. But who is the real killer? And will Wolfe find him before he commits yet another murder?
Another fun Nero Wolfe mystery. This time, the lady of greatest interest to Archie is the lovely Selma Molloy, the wronged wife of the murder victim, for whom Paul/Peter has the hots (which hots are indubitably reciprocated). However, we also meet the deceased's flighty secretary Delia Brandt, as well as his friends Rita Arkoff (a knockout, but, Archie laments, an order-giver) and Fanny Irwin (a one-way-hand-holdee). And their respective husbands/fiancés, of course. There are also appearances by the obligatory recurring characters: Inspector Cramer, Sergeant Stebbins, newshound Lon Cohen, Saul Panzer, Fred Durkin, Orrie Cather, and Johnny Keems (in his swansong).
The story is decent enough, but as with the best Wolfe stories, it's the character interactions that really sell it. Archie's clear attraction to and respect for Mrs. Molloy (and his steadfast commitment not to act on that attraction, because it wouldn't be fair to Paul/Peter, who is stuck behind bars) lends a sincerity to the story that is only enhanced by our heroes desire to avenge the murder of one of their own (the admittedly annoying Johnny Keems). And it's certainly new for Wolfe to investigate a murder after the District Attorney has obtained a conviction. All in all, it's a great way to kill a few hours. And Michael Prichard's narration, though far from brilliant, makes for a perfectly serviceable alternative for those looking to take in a book while driving/walking/working out/etc.
Another fun Nero Wolfe mystery. This time, the lady of greatest interest to Archie is the lovely Selma Molloy, the wronged wife of the murder victim, for whom Paul/Peter has the hots (which hots are indubitably reciprocated). However, we also meet the deceased's flighty secretary Delia Brandt, as well as his friends Rita Arkoff (a knockout, but, Archie laments, an order-giver) and Fanny Irwin (a one-way-hand-holdee). And their respective husbands/fiancés, of course. There are also appearances by the obligatory recurring characters: Inspector Cramer, Sergeant Stebbins, newshound Lon Cohen, Saul Panzer, Fred Durkin, Orrie Cather, and Johnny Keems (in his swansong).
The story is decent enough, but as with the best Wolfe stories, it's the character interactions that really sell it. Archie's clear attraction to and respect for Mrs. Molloy (and his steadfast commitment not to act on that attraction, because it wouldn't be fair to Paul/Peter, who is stuck behind bars) lends a sincerity to the story that is only enhanced by our heroes desire to avenge the murder of one of their own (the admittedly annoying Johnny Keems). And it's certainly new for Wolfe to investigate a murder after the District Attorney has obtained a conviction. All in all, it's a great way to kill a few hours. And Michael Prichard's narration, though far from brilliant, makes for a perfectly serviceable alternative for those looking to take in a book while driving/walking/working out/etc.
July 2, 2016
This books starts with a request to find a missing son who had been falsely accused by his father of stealing from his company. The investigation leads to a murder trial where the defendant has just been convicted. It seems for a while that Nero Wolfe would not be able to solve the intricacies of the case, but never underestimate the cunning and genius of Wolfe.
In this book, Archie seems to be highly critical of marriage and he gives his scathing critique of every marriage he sees. When a young woman asks him why he "was down on marriage," he said he wasn't down on marriage, but he had a problem with the way people handled it. He gives her the examples from this case where one wife was an "order-giver" and one husband insisted on holding his wife's hand, even when she didn't want it held. He then says he hopes the examples he gave the woman will keep her "from developing into an order-giver or a one-way hand-holder, but leave it to her, she'll find some kind of monkey wrench to toss into the machinery, and if she doesn't her husband will." These jaded kind of comments pervaded the book, which leads me to think that Rex Stout might have been having "woman problems" in the late 1950's.
In this book, Archie seems to be highly critical of marriage and he gives his scathing critique of every marriage he sees. When a young woman asks him why he "was down on marriage," he said he wasn't down on marriage, but he had a problem with the way people handled it. He gives her the examples from this case where one wife was an "order-giver" and one husband insisted on holding his wife's hand, even when she didn't want it held. He then says he hopes the examples he gave the woman will keep her "from developing into an order-giver or a one-way hand-holder, but leave it to her, she'll find some kind of monkey wrench to toss into the machinery, and if she doesn't her husband will." These jaded kind of comments pervaded the book, which leads me to think that Rex Stout might have been having "woman problems" in the late 1950's.
January 6, 2013
"When a hippopotamus is peeved, it's a lot of peeve." Archie Goodwin, the narrator of the Nero Wolfe tales, has a lovely turn of phrase. His employer does as well, although in a totally different way. When a lawyer suggests there should be a written agreement, Wolfe says,"There won't be. I take the risk of failure; you'll have to take the risk of my depravity." Wolfe often sends me to the dictionary, which isn't a bad thing. I've learned meanings to words I never would have known had that orchid fancier not used them. This time around, the mystery involves a missing person and a man who has already been convicted of murder...who end up being the same person. Lots of corpses litter the pages before Wolfe finally brings together all the suspects and points his finger at the true killer.
October 1, 2025
This review contains no spoilers.
You know how sometimes a book will have a title that seems to have nothing to do with what actually happens? You'll read an action story with a penguin as the hero, for example, and the title of the book will be "Lion of the Desert". Kind of like the title of an old Police Squad! episode (and if you don't know what I'm talking about, you'd better go find recordings of that show to watch right away). Well, anyway, this book is nothing like that. The title is a certified match for the story. It was stated at least a half dozen times, and probably by three or maybe even four different characters. So if you're about ready to crack open this book but you're worried about whether or not you'll actually hear the title phrase, you can definitely relax!
As for the book itself, it's another terrific offering in this wonderful series. It's always a treat to return to the old brownstone on West 35th Street. Wolfe is in top form as he tackles a case that takes quite a few unexpected (even shocking) turns, and our intrepid narrator Archie Goodwin sparkles as our witty guide through the mayhem. Archie is an outstanding right-hand man, but the case is a tricky one, so Wolfe calls in all of his operatives this time. i always knew when I was a kid reading these books that it was serious business when the whole crew (Saul Panzer, Fred Durkin, Orrie Cather, and Johnny Keems) was summoned. Throw in frequent visits from the usual angry cops, Inspector Cramer and Sergeant Purley Stebbins, and the gang's all here.
I probably wouldn't recommend reading this one as your very first Nero Wolfe adventure, simply because there are several references throughout to some past cases, and you can have a stronger, more nostalgic reaction to those side comments if you've had a few of those stories under your belt already. And it seemed to me like many of the idiosyncracies of Wolfe's daily schedule were assumed to be known without explanation, but that could just be how we learn about them, anyway. It's been too long for me to recall. It's definitely a later book in the series (#27, apparently), though, so my suggestion is to work your way up to it.
As a mystery, I do think it didn't quite satisfy all my requirements for fair play. I like to have all the clues out there for me so I have a good chance of figuring things out for myself. That didn't exactly happen here, as some of the key revelations surface pretty late in the story. I don't feel like it was a strong detractor, but it is a yardstick I hold up to all the mysteries I read, and this one fell a little short.
Another thing I have noticed as I've gotten older is that mysteries that were written in this time period (and I'll even include Agatha Christie's novels in this range) kind of gloss over the impact of the murders themselves. Honestly, I get it. You're reading a mystery for reasons other than exploring how realistically everybody responds to death. Getting into those details would certainly drag down the book and detract from the appeal of solving the crime. It's just something I'm more sensitive to as an older person, and the body count in this book is high enough that I noticed it perhaps a bit more strongly than normal.
But don't take my slight philosophical detour as a reason to not read this book or any of the others in this outstanding detective series. These books are some of the best in the business, and there are an enormous number of Nero Wolfe adventures out there for you to try. When you get to this one, you might as well read it. You'll be glad you did.
You know how sometimes a book will have a title that seems to have nothing to do with what actually happens? You'll read an action story with a penguin as the hero, for example, and the title of the book will be "Lion of the Desert". Kind of like the title of an old Police Squad! episode (and if you don't know what I'm talking about, you'd better go find recordings of that show to watch right away). Well, anyway, this book is nothing like that. The title is a certified match for the story. It was stated at least a half dozen times, and probably by three or maybe even four different characters. So if you're about ready to crack open this book but you're worried about whether or not you'll actually hear the title phrase, you can definitely relax!
As for the book itself, it's another terrific offering in this wonderful series. It's always a treat to return to the old brownstone on West 35th Street. Wolfe is in top form as he tackles a case that takes quite a few unexpected (even shocking) turns, and our intrepid narrator Archie Goodwin sparkles as our witty guide through the mayhem. Archie is an outstanding right-hand man, but the case is a tricky one, so Wolfe calls in all of his operatives this time. i always knew when I was a kid reading these books that it was serious business when the whole crew (Saul Panzer, Fred Durkin, Orrie Cather, and Johnny Keems) was summoned. Throw in frequent visits from the usual angry cops, Inspector Cramer and Sergeant Purley Stebbins, and the gang's all here.
I probably wouldn't recommend reading this one as your very first Nero Wolfe adventure, simply because there are several references throughout to some past cases, and you can have a stronger, more nostalgic reaction to those side comments if you've had a few of those stories under your belt already. And it seemed to me like many of the idiosyncracies of Wolfe's daily schedule were assumed to be known without explanation, but that could just be how we learn about them, anyway. It's been too long for me to recall. It's definitely a later book in the series (#27, apparently), though, so my suggestion is to work your way up to it.
As a mystery, I do think it didn't quite satisfy all my requirements for fair play. I like to have all the clues out there for me so I have a good chance of figuring things out for myself. That didn't exactly happen here, as some of the key revelations surface pretty late in the story. I don't feel like it was a strong detractor, but it is a yardstick I hold up to all the mysteries I read, and this one fell a little short.
Another thing I have noticed as I've gotten older is that mysteries that were written in this time period (and I'll even include Agatha Christie's novels in this range) kind of gloss over the impact of the murders themselves. Honestly, I get it. You're reading a mystery for reasons other than exploring how realistically everybody responds to death. Getting into those details would certainly drag down the book and detract from the appeal of solving the crime. It's just something I'm more sensitive to as an older person, and the body count in this book is high enough that I noticed it perhaps a bit more strongly than normal.
But don't take my slight philosophical detour as a reason to not read this book or any of the others in this outstanding detective series. These books are some of the best in the business, and there are an enormous number of Nero Wolfe adventures out there for you to try. When you get to this one, you might as well read it. You'll be glad you did.
September 17, 2023
4.221 stars, I really liked and might read again
Archie Goodwin is flamboyant and a good counterpoint to Nero Wolfe; like Watson and Holmes, they make a good team, though Archie ends up doing most of the interesting legwork.
Set in New York City in the 1950s, what starts out as a missing person investigation turns into a multiple-murder mystery. How to bill the costs of the murder investigation to the person searching for his missing son is a challenge Nero is willing to take, because he just has to solve the murder even if the police think they know what's what.
Good story, great characters, interesting methods, though it might not be kosher to those expecting modern criminal justice procedures.
Archie Goodwin is flamboyant and a good counterpoint to Nero Wolfe; like Watson and Holmes, they make a good team, though Archie ends up doing most of the interesting legwork.
Set in New York City in the 1950s, what starts out as a missing person investigation turns into a multiple-murder mystery. How to bill the costs of the murder investigation to the person searching for his missing son is a challenge Nero is willing to take, because he just has to solve the murder even if the police think they know what's what.
Good story, great characters, interesting methods, though it might not be kosher to those expecting modern criminal justice procedures.
July 22, 2021
This is probably my favorite of the Nero Wolfe books I've read. The only thing keeping it from a 5-star rating is that it took a bit too long to get to the endgame. Otherwise, this was a very tightly written novel by Stout that should stand out for even the most discriminating fan of Nero and Archie.
Some readers often complain that the clues they need to solve a mystery aren't there for them. It's a ridiculous complaint IMHO, but if it soothes their feelings, fine. Those folks cannot say that here, as everything needed is right on the pages. Did I solve before the end? Of course not, but then I read for pleasure and not to try and outsmart the writer. I love finding out everything and race to the end to see whodunit. My opinion of course, each person's take on the book depends on if they enjoy reading or use it as another tool to boost their fragile egos.
Find it! Buy it! READ IT!
Some readers often complain that the clues they need to solve a mystery aren't there for them. It's a ridiculous complaint IMHO, but if it soothes their feelings, fine. Those folks cannot say that here, as everything needed is right on the pages. Did I solve before the end? Of course not, but then I read for pleasure and not to try and outsmart the writer. I love finding out everything and race to the end to see whodunit. My opinion of course, each person's take on the book depends on if they enjoy reading or use it as another tool to boost their fragile egos.
Find it! Buy it! READ IT!
May 11, 2023
I thought the last four Nero Wolfe books (23-26) were a little off Rex Stout’s usual high quality. This one, #27, has him back in good form.
One of the notable things about this book is that a recurring minor character, Johnny Keems, one of Wolfe’s operatives, is killed off. Of course, Wolfe avenges his murder. Thankfully, it wasn’t Archie Goodwin or Saul Panzer.
I am always interested in Stout’s careful depiction of contemporary life in the period of each book, in this case 1956. There is one notable example in this book, but it turns out to be sufficiently important to solving the mystery I need to put even a vague reference behind a spoiler tag:
One of the notable things about this book is that a recurring minor character, Johnny Keems, one of Wolfe’s operatives, is killed off. Of course, Wolfe avenges his murder. Thankfully, it wasn’t Archie Goodwin or Saul Panzer.
I am always interested in Stout’s careful depiction of contemporary life in the period of each book, in this case 1956. There is one notable example in this book, but it turns out to be sufficiently important to solving the mystery I need to put even a vague reference behind a spoiler tag:
July 31, 2024
Wolfe is hired to find the missing son of a rich midwesterner. The son had run away more than a decade before, and the family wanted to reestablish contact. But Wolfe soon finds that the son, under a changed name, is on trial for murdered—one he says he didn’t commit. And when Wolfe tries to find out more, one of his own men is killed.
I love Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe novels. I’ve now read about three quarters of them at least once and plan to read them all. (I own all but a couple.)
I love Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe novels. I’ve now read about three quarters of them at least once and plan to read them all. (I own all but a couple.)
May 7, 2019
To some degree, you can't improve on the classics. These stories just work. This one, in particular, with very little updating could be set in 2019, not 1952. Wolfe and Archie really stumble into the murders in this story...they start out looking for a missing person. There's a pretty big conicidence you have to swallow at the beginning of the story, but otherwise, Stout, as usual, plays pretty fair. The details, though, are well thought out, and you feel like Wolfe is bringing his "A game" every time he takes a case.
March 10, 2018
It's been a long time since I read a Nero Wolfe, and perhaps absence made the heart grow fonder, or perhaps this is just one of the better ones. It follows the formula to the letter, but has some its spring in its step and delivers what it offers, a diverting piece of pulp detective fiction.
January 21, 2020
A father sets Wolfe to look for his missing son. They find him falsely convicted of murdering his lover's wife. The real murderer kills off several more people in his fight to cover everything up.
December 30, 2024
Coastline Library
October 24, 2018
Хороший детектив, хотя больше всего мне понравилась не детективная история, а сам стиль изложения и, конечно же, юмор и то как Арчи Гудвин постоянно подтрунивает над Ниро Вульфом!!!
December 19, 2013
Stout’s long-running riff on Sherlock Holmes is brilliant fun. In some seventy books and novellas written from 1934 to Stout’s death in 1975, Nero Wolfe is the brainy detective, Archie Goodwin his sidekick and housemate who writes up the stories. They are wonderfully readable entertainments, written in impeccably clean and propulsive prose. The usual setting is the great world city that was New York during Wolfe’s career, where Wolfe lives in an old brownstone from which he seldom stirs. He lives by a rigid schedule, affording ample time for the cultivation of orchids in his rooftop plant rooms, for reading and gourmandizing, and, occasionally, for some grudging detective work. Goodwin is cut from altogether livelier cloth, a gumshoe as resourceful as any of Chandler’s or Hammett’s, and his repartee improves on Marlowe’s or Spade’s.
Better Off Dead, from 1956, displays Stout’s virtues. A rich man flies to New York and hires Wolfe to find his missing son. Wolfe (or anyway, Archie) does the job handily, but there are complications, the solution to which involve much entertaining coursing across the city, meeting the as usual not very edifying cast of characters, and ending with Wolfe’s characteristic inquest, whereby the principals are brought his office for a set piece of rigorous logic which concludes with his producing the villain. Stout makes use as good as Doyle of his city setting, and his plots, if less fanciful and weird than Holmes’s creator’s, are ingenious and satisfying. The reader here is not invited to solve the mystery; the crime’s underlying reasons are discovered too late in the book for that. But at the end, order of a particularly comfortable and deep-textured sort is restored.
December 7, 2016
Een oude detective die ik vond in de, ooit fenomenale maar ondertussen fel uitgedunde, pocketcollectie van mijn vader. Een boekje dat je mits wat inspanning wel op een dag kan uitlezen. Een traditioneel detectiveverhaal zoals je er duizenden vindt maar ik heb er toch van genoten. Het verhaal zit goed in mekaar en is zorgvuldig opgebouwd. Het zit zo in mekaar dat de lezer zelf mee kan speuren naar de verdachten en de uiteindelijke dader.
Maar meer nog dan dat heb ik genoten van de taal. Ik heb de Nederlandse vertaling uit 1966 gelezen. Sommige passages zijn vandaag de dag echt grappig omdat het zo oubollig lijkt. Die zinsconstructies en het woordgebruik zijn we niet meer gewoon. Zinnen zoals "Ik moet wel zeggen, dat hij geprobeerd had vrijpostig te worden en ze dit niet had toegestaan." Wie gebruikt er vandaag de dag nog "vrijpostig"?
Alleen al daarom (en ook de onweerstaanbare vergeelde pagina's en de authentieke geur van oude pockets) vond ik het leuk om als tussendoortje te lezen.
En ik heb nog zo 2 grote dozen staan. Nog veel tussendoortjes dus ...
Maar meer nog dan dat heb ik genoten van de taal. Ik heb de Nederlandse vertaling uit 1966 gelezen. Sommige passages zijn vandaag de dag echt grappig omdat het zo oubollig lijkt. Die zinsconstructies en het woordgebruik zijn we niet meer gewoon. Zinnen zoals "Ik moet wel zeggen, dat hij geprobeerd had vrijpostig te worden en ze dit niet had toegestaan." Wie gebruikt er vandaag de dag nog "vrijpostig"?
Alleen al daarom (en ook de onweerstaanbare vergeelde pagina's en de authentieke geur van oude pockets) vond ik het leuk om als tussendoortje te lezen.
En ik heb nog zo 2 grote dozen staan. Nog veel tussendoortjes dus ...
April 9, 2019
Convicted of a murder he did not commit, not the man he appears to be, someone is looking for him.. what is going on in New York? Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin are hired to find a missing man, his father believed him guilty of stealing money when he was a young man, odly enough he did not commit that creime either. Now Mr. Herrold knows his son was not guilty and did not steal money. He wants Nero Wolfe and Archie to find his son. Unfortunately a young man has recently been convicted of murder, and no one knows who he is or where he is from. Can these men be one and the same? It is up to Nero and Archie to find out. Someone does not want this information to be made known, could it be the real killer? In the investigation of this job, one of Nero's men is run down and murdered, now it has become personal to Nero. The true murderer must be found now. Nero and Archie at their best, the truth shall prevail. Excellent book one of many in this fantastic series by Rex Stout
August 30, 2016
Wolfe undertakes a missing person case. Not that he needs the work but he does not like the client so takes it on for the challenge and the cash. Almost at once the missing person is linked to a murder trial in progress. And we now have a bigger challenge. All info in the papers convinces Wolfe that the man found guilty was framed and he is the missing person. After a string of deaths the police are finally convinced they got it wrong and with the usual confrontation of suspects and interested parties in Wolfe's office we uncover the criminal. This one was so far the easiest for me to follow as there were fewer suspects as the death toll piled up. One of the best parts of Stouts plotting is that we are almost never sure until the end 'who done it'. But at times the clues are front and center and we can narrow things down quickly up to the final solution.
February 11, 2013
Wolfe takes on a missing person who is found, and has also been convicted of murder. Taking the task to uncover a wrongful conviction as well as reuniting son to family.
In this book one of the team becomes a victim. It's written on the book cover's description. However, as one who is trying to read the books in order, and having had to read the series missing two of them due to waiting for them to get to the library... I discovered in this one the mention of another demise. So, if you have not read The Black Mountain before this book... please read it first!
While many books in this series aren't subject to tight sequencing... they have points where they are, and of course the change in technology that is mentioned throughout the books progresses as well.
In this book one of the team becomes a victim. It's written on the book cover's description. However, as one who is trying to read the books in order, and having had to read the series missing two of them due to waiting for them to get to the library... I discovered in this one the mention of another demise. So, if you have not read The Black Mountain before this book... please read it first!
While many books in this series aren't subject to tight sequencing... they have points where they are, and of course the change in technology that is mentioned throughout the books progresses as well.
July 22, 2020
7/21/20 - upping to 3 stars, enjoyed the ebook; had forgotten whodunit. These are good to clear the mind after all the upheaval in our lives. Good triumphs, yada.
One negative - there's nothing mentioned about Johnny Keems' wife until the very end - she got $16K. Nothing about contacting her, helping her to deal. Regardless if wrapped up in a week, should have been some mention.
2013 - I'm not sure why this didn't please me as much as the other and far earlier Nero Wolfe audiobooks I've been listening to. Maybe because there is more off-stage happenings? Maybe because the original murder didn't seem nearly as immediate? I know I kept having to re-focus on the two principal female characters to distinguish them from one another.
One negative - there's nothing mentioned about Johnny Keems' wife until the very end - she got $16K. Nothing about contacting her, helping her to deal. Regardless if wrapped up in a week, should have been some mention.
2013 - I'm not sure why this didn't please me as much as the other and far earlier Nero Wolfe audiobooks I've been listening to. Maybe because there is more off-stage happenings? Maybe because the original murder didn't seem nearly as immediate? I know I kept having to re-focus on the two principal female characters to distinguish them from one another.
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